A Man's Best Friend
by PrettyLittleMonster
Summary: "It was a scruffy, yellow dog, about the size of a loaf of bread, curled up in the middle of the path." In which Crutchie makes a new friend and the author can't help but comment on how much she adores this character.
1. Chapter 1

**(Author's Note: Well, guess who started another Newsies fanfiction? That's pretty much all I write, so it's no big surprise. Don't worry, Wherever You Go will still be updated regularly, and this will probably only be three or four chapters anyway unless I get some really good ideas to keep it going. I'm always up for new ideas if you have any! **

**Standard disclaimers apply, I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Crutchie stumbled aimlessly through Central Park, leaning very heavily on his crutch. He'd sold all his papes fairly early; the cold weather coupled with the holiday season made it pretty easy to sell papes, and his limp-which tended to increase in severity in the cold-admittedly didn't hurt his selling ability either. Crutchie didn't want to bug the other guys, so he'd decided just to go for a walk, er, a limp.

It being December, the sidewalks were coated with a thick layer of fresh snow. The icy pathways seemed to practically jump out from under Crutchie's good foot, and before long, he tripped over something lying in his path and landed face first in a snowbank.

"Augh!" He cried, upon sitting up, immediately spotting the object causing his fall. It was a scruffy, yellow dog, about the size of a loaf of bread, curled up in the middle of the path. The dog immediately bolted upright, having been awoken when Crutchie fell over it, and stretched out, padding to him through the snow awkwardly. Crutchie swatted it away and tried to stand up, but he had yet to even put one foot on the ground before he fell back into the snow, and soon he realized why.

_His crutch was broken._ Crutchie stared at it in disbelief. His crutch, his constant companion and support system was cracked right down the center, leaving it in two rough, jagged pieces. As much as he hated that he needed it, the crutch was as much a part of him as any other appendage. For a brief moment, he felt nothing, but them a wave of anger rushed over him.

"Damn dog," he spat, shoving the animal backwards with his foot, causing it to whimper pathetically. Crutchie sat still for a minute. He was already cold and soaking wet, and the only thing helping him walk home was broken-he had nothing left to lose. The dog barked at him, as if to ask what he was doing.

"Haven't you done enough?" Crutchie shouted at it, holding up the pieces of his broken crutch. Hot tears started to streak down his face, and he cursed himself for crying. "Jus' get lost!" The dog seemed to obey, yipping at him once more before running off in the direction of a patch of trees. There was something odd about it, the way it ran wasn't quite… symmetrical, but Crutchie shook the thought from his mind and focused on trying to stand up.

He pulled himself into a standing position with the help of a low tree branch above him, but he still had no idea how he was going to make it all the way back to the lodging house, which was about a ten minute walk away. The slippery sidewalks made it near impossible for him to hop back on one foot like he might have done in the warmer months, and without a crutch, well, walking sure wasn't an option. He pondered his choices for several minutes, before realizing he didn't have any. He had absolutely no clue how he was going to get home.

Suddenly he heard a muffled barking behind him. Crutchie turned sharply, ready to kick the scrawny little dog for everything it had done to him, but stopped himself when he saw that the tiny dog was dragging a large, Y-shaped stick behind it. The stick looked to be about three feet long, and Crutchie wondered how an animal that small-and probably very underfed-could carry something that big. The dog trotted up to Crutchie slowly, and dropped the stick at his feet as if it were a peace offering. Crutchie was in awe.

The dog had brought him a new crutch. He'd need to wrap something around the top of the Y so he could lean on it better, but it would do to get back to the lodging house. He shoved the crutch under his arm and tested it out. It was tricky, but after a couple of minutes he was getting the hang of it. Crutchie reached down to pet the little dog's head.

"Thanks buddy, I guess I was a little hard on ya, huh." The dog barked loudly in response, making Crutchie laugh. "Ah, you ain't so bad." Crutchie started back to the lodging house, gripping his new crutch tightly, but the dog wouldn't leave him alone. It yipped at his heels as he walked, and skidded precariously on the ice around him.

"What do ya want little guy? Ain't you got a home to go to? A family or somethin'?" Crutchie wondered aloud, staring at the yellow ball of matted fur in confusion. That was when he spotted it, the reason the dog had looked so awkward running to get him the stick.

The little yellow dog had a gimp leg.

**(Aww, Crutchie! He's one of my favorite characters, so how could I _not_ write a cute Christmas-y fic about the little guy? Please review if you liked it or have any ideas for some more in-depth plot lines! I could use all the inspiration I can get...**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**(Author's note: I am so glad so many of you are liking this story! Thanks for all the sweet reviews, they really make all the work I put into these stories worth it. Just a quick note, I don't know if I mentioned this in my first chapter, but this takes place very shortly after the strike, no more than a few months after. I just wanted to put that out there in case anyone wondered. **

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Crutchie stopped in his tracks. The dog had a gimp leg, just like him; his front right paw was bent just a little differently from the other three. Any lingering resentment Crutchie had for the poor creature immediately melted away. They say that friendships are often formed by bonding over a common enemy, and this shared disability (though Crutchie hated to call it a disability) was certainly a common enemy. He lifted the little dog up to his chest and scratched him behind the ears.

"You-you's just like me," Crutchie stammered, taking in the irony of the situation. He felt a sort of affinity for the poor little guy, but he knew there was nothing he could do for him. He probably had a family that was looking for him, and even if he didn't, there was no way he could keep a dog at the lodging house... was there?

No, definitely not. He set the dog down so as not to get any more attached to him.

"Now, you go on and... Uh, go find your family," he said sternly, "You must have a family, and they's probly missin' you, so uh, go on home, okay little buddy?" He pushed him away gently with his crutch, but the dog merely cocked his head and whimpered.

"I mean it, just go home now." Crutchie turned sharply and headed back in the direction of the lodging house at the fastest pace he could manage, but it was no use. The little dog simply skidded alongside him loyally, occasionally slipping and knocking into Crutchie's good leg. He laughed, and eventually gave in, letting the dog follow him and being sure not to step on-or trip over-him.

About halfway back, he pulled a piece of stale bread out of his pocket, and broke off a small chunk.

"You hungry buddy?" He laughed, and the way the little dog jumped up on its hind legs and pawed at Crutchie's pant leg was answer enough. He tossed the bread to the ground, and the dog leaped after it, snapping it up in seconds. The poor thing probably hadn't had a proper meal in ages, and-knowing very well how it felt to go without food-he handed over the rest of the bread, which was accepted gratefully. Crutchie knew he had to try and help the little guy somehow, so he let the dog trot all the way back to the lodging house with him. Besides, he was starting to get attached to the little fur ball.

"Hey, uh, you got a name?" Crutchie asked, sitting on the front steps of the lodging house. The dog yipped apologetically. "Well, I guess I'll have to come up with one for ya. Can't have you goin' without a name."

He stared at the dog, and the dog stared back. Crutchie thought long and hard, but nothing seemed to fit the charismatic pup, who in the meantime, paced around the steps, his nails making quiet clicking sounds on the cement. Crutchie wracked his brain, but this whole naming business was tougher than he thought, and besides that, the little clicks of the dog's nails kept slipping into his thoughts.

"Clicks!" He exclaimed suddenly, and the dog yipped excitedly, "Ya like that? Clicks?" Crutchie laughed aloud, immensely proud of himself. Clicks seemed happy with his new name as well, barking loudly as if to show his approval.

"Hey, whatcha got there Crutch?" Crutchie looked up from his new friend to see Les, Davey, Romeo, and Jojo, all of which immediately crowded around the pair of invalids.

"His name's Clicks. I-uh-found him in the park and he followed me home," Crutchie explained, conveniently leaving out the part where he'd fallen over the dog and nearly gotten stranded in Central Park without a crutch. He'd never seen the boys melt faster than they did around Clicks. Each one took a turn holding the little dog, scratching his head or ruffling his fur lovingly. It was sweet, seeing them all with the his new friend.

Eventually, the small crowd dispersed inside to escape the freezing air, which only seemed to continue to get colder. Crutchie knew he should do the same, but he still didn't know what to do about Clicks. He certainly couldn't be brought in the lodging house, and Crutchie wasn't about to tie him up or anything. He was just contemplating this situation, cradling a sleepy Clicks in his arms, when Jack appeared, his face flushed from the wind, and Crutchie guessed he'd been helping a few of the younger, more inexperienced Newsies sell their last papes. (Just because they _could_ sell back papes didn't mean they could always afford to. Some days they needed all the extra money they could scrounge up.)

"Hey Crutchie," he said, more than a little out of breath.

"Hey Jackie!"

Clicks barked softly and swung his yellow head around to look at Jack.

"Well, what do we have here?" Jack chuckled, and Crutchie introduced his best friend to his new friend.

"I can't bring him inside though, that's the problem, Jack. I dunno what to do with him." Jack pondered this for a minute, and Crutchie desperately hoped he would have an idea. Jack Kelly always had an idea.

"That's ah... That's a very good question," Jack mumbled, "I can't see that there is anything you can do Crutch, except maybe leave him some food over here, an' I guess if he stays, then he really is your dog. Ya know, like uh, if ya love somethin', set it free kinda thing." Crutchie hated to leave him out in the snow, but that did seem like the only option.

"Thanks Jack."

"No problem Crutchie." The two brothers exchanged smiles and Jack threw his arm around Crutchie's shoulders.

"Hey, you best get inside now, it's freezing out here," Jack commented, but Crutchie hesitated. "C'mon Crutch!"

"Okay, okay! See ya later Clicks," Crutchie chirped, giving the dog one last pat on the head, before being dragged inside by a cold and persistent Jack. Crutchie was elated. He had a new friend, one who was just like him, and he hadn't even had to tell anyone about tripping and making a fool of himself in the park! Ha! Yes, everything was turning out just-

"Hey, ain't that a new crutch?"

Fine.

**(Thanks for reading! I'd love some reviews on this chapter, and I could seriously use some more ideas on how to keep this running. I have a few more chapters planned out, but I don't know exactly where I want to take it past that, and y'all seem to really like this one, so ideas would be very welcome! **

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**(Author's Note: It was brought to my attention that Kloppman was the owner of the lodging house in Newsies the movie, therefore he will be mentioned several times throughout this story, and might even end up making an appearance later on. I haven't watched the movie in ages, so movie fans, I'm sorry if I don't do him justice when the times comes. Just thought it was important to mention that, especially for those who haven't seen the movie, or just forgot about that character entirely as I did.**

**Also, I know this begining bit is awkwardly written. It's mostly exposition stuff, and I just couldn't for the life of me come up with a better way to put it. Don't judge me. We all have bad days, right?**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

Clicks's excited yipping greeted Crutchie as he left for work just as they had every day that week. Jack was right; Clicks had slept right outside the lodging house every night. He was most definitely Crutchie's dog. Crutchie had even gotten a cup of water from Jacobi's to wash some of the dirt from his fur, so he no longer looked quite as much like a stray. He was starting to look less emaciated too. There was no denying it, Clicks belonged to Crutchie, and Crutchie belonged to Clicks.

The two of them set off with the rest of the Newsies, gratefully accepting breakfast from the nuns over at the church.

"Four dead and dozens injured in county wide fire!" He called out after buying 50 papes from Weisel. Technically, the paper read nothing of the sort, but if that was the only way to sell papes, then that's what he was going to say.

Clicks and Crutchie made quite the team. Children were automatically drawn to the dog, bending down to pet and play with him-all which was gratefully accepted by Clicks-and that gave Crutchie the chance to sell to wealthier parents who normally would have passed right by him. He'd even been able to start taking more papes, knowing he could sell nearly all of them. That was good, because Crutchie couldn't bear it when Clicks didn't get food. He always split whatever he managed to scrape up with Clicks, but now, with the help of the pup, Crutchie was able to afford a little extra for his friend.

But it was getting colder. Every evening, Crutchie guiltily left Clicks out in the snow, forcing himself to go in and promising himself that he'd make up for it the next day. When the papers had been sold and the sun was starting to set that particular evening, Crutchie, Jack and Romeo sat on the lodging house steps. Well, Crutchie and Jack sat, Romeo, on the other hand, was running around with Clicks right on his heels, tripping after the boy gleefully.

"I ain't gonna leave him out here anymore Jack." Crutchie stated firmly. "He's gonna end up freezing' to death." Jack looked over at him, clearly surprised and a little impressed with Crutchie's blatant disregard of the owner of the lodging house, Kloppman, who definitely would not have liked a dog in his building.

"Alright, so how we gonna get him in then?" Dang it. Crutchie was hoping Jack would have a plan. He always had a plan.

"Ah-very carefully," Crutchie decided, twisting his newsboy cap up in his hands nervously.

And that's exactly what they did. In about ten minutes, they'd convinced Romeo to go inside, and wrapped a very squirmy Clicks in Jack's thin coat. (Jack refused to let Crutchie use his own coat to cover the dog.) They walked very quickly through the main room, trying not to draw attention to the wriggling parcel in Jack's arms, but of course, the boys weren't going to go easy on them.

"Hey, Jack!" Yelled Albert from his perch on the back of the couch. He and Racetrack were both holding handfuls of playing cards. "Tell Race to stop cheating!" Crutchie kept moving and Jack followed suit, only peering back over his shoulder to call out,

"Race, you gots to learn how to cheat better, so he don't know you's cheating!" There was a cry of dissent from Albert, and a noise that sounded suspiciously like someone getting kicked, but the two of them ignored it and pressed forward. They were almost to the stairs when Romeo came bounding down, nearly knocking Crutchie off his feet.

"Hey, Crutchie, I-uh-I had a question for you," he mumbled earnestly. Crutchie glanced at Jack warily, but he couldn't just brush the kid off, not with that sincere look on his face.

"Uh, what is it Romeo?"

"Well, I was thinkin' and, maybe sometime, could you, ya know, teach me to read and write real good like you?" Crutchie stopped short. He sometimes forgot that, while most of the boys could read well enough to hawk headlines, most of them didn't know how to read nearly as well as he could, and a lot of them couldn't write very much at all. He was getting nervous about the increasingly restless puppy Jack was holding, but Crutchie put his hand on Romeo's shoulder and said definitely,

"Course I will." Romeo's face lit up.

"Thanks Crutchie!" And he bolted out into the foyer with the other boys, leaving Crutchie and Jack to climb the stairs, uninterrupted.

It was odd to see Clicks running around on Crutchie's bunk, his paws getting tangled up in the blanket.

"Now, you's gots to stay real quiet, okay?" Crutchie instructed firmly, "or else I ain't gonna be able to bring you in here anymore. Clicks nudged Crutchie's arm as if in response to what he'd said.

"He sure seems to like you," Jack commented from the other side of the room.

"Yeah. Thanks for helping me out Jackie." He smiled, and Clicks jumped up into his arms, licking his face excitedly.

"Hey, it's no problem kid. What are brothers for?"

Crutchie stayed inside the rest of the evening, and when the other boys started turning in for bed, he covered Clicks with his blanket. The dog stayed surprisingly still and quiet, probably tired from running around all day, and even though he now had to share his thin blankets with the puppy, Crutchie was warm that night as he fell asleep with the dog by his side. Clicks emanated heat, as he slept soundly in Crutchie's arms, and for once, the lodging house wasn't so cold.

**(Crutchie is so adorable. I can't get over it. Please review, I put a lot of time and effort into writing these, and it's always nice to see that people appreciate it. Also, if there are things I need to fix, tell me and I will get to them as soon as I can. Thanks again!**

**Also, just a side note, I found the stuffed dog that inspired Clicks the other day, and it made me really happy! It's this scruffy, tan puppy from when I was a kid, and I found it so funny that I subconciously based the look of Clicks off this stuffed dog, that's all.**

**Much love,  
>PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)<strong>


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